The month of April is coming to an end – but not without a red lipstick selfie! For a good cause, obvs…
#RedMyLips
Red My Lips is an international NPO that aims to raise awareness about sexual violence. Throughout the month of April, those who stand in solidarity with the victims of abuse rock red lippy to show support and get people talking.
This inspiring movement began in 2011 and is still going strong. When I reminded the team about the campaign, they were more than happy to whip out the lipstick. But we needed to switch it up a bit – so I came up with a challenge…
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The Red Lipstick Challenge
Not all lipsticks are created equal. We wanted to put these lipsticks through a day in the life of a Women’s Health girl. All that coffee and tea drinking – never mind the workouts, and post-sweat snack attacks. Which red lipstick would survive until the very end?
The day arrived, the competitors were selected. We all flocked to the bathroom to apply. After all the excitement of choosing the right colour, we settled back down to work. But not before a team pout pic – obviously!
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The day continued much like any other, but with a few more selfies than usual. Most of the red lipsticks were sticking around. Here’s the lowdown from the team.
1/ Competitor: Bodyography: Red China
Owner: Leigh Cann
Results: This lipstick felt nice and smooth, but it wasn’t a long-wear lip. It came off completely when I ate lunch.
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2/ Competitor: YSL: 411
Owner: Chandré Davids
Results: I think my lipstick did fairly well. It lasted through three cups of coffee, a chicken sandwich, two bottles of water and loads of chatting. Obviously, the colour wasn’t as striking as when I first put it on, but it still looked great at the end of the day!
Chandré
3/ Competitor: Bodyography in 9130: Jo
Owner: Susan Barrett
Results: While I loved my lippy – and learned that I can actually get away with a more orangy-red (who knew?) – it couldn’t keep up with my messy lifestyle. By the time I’d drained my first cup of coffee, it had basically become a lipliner, and post-sandwich, it was gone. Granted, I do eat a sandwich like an ogre, so my manners were more at fault than the cosmetic. I reapplied for my ocean paddle… and all went well until I did a reflex full-face-wipe after an epic splash. Again: My fault. So, all in all, I loved it but I clearly require something a bit more industrial when it comes to make-up…
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4/ Competitor: Rimmel Provocalips 16 HR Kiss Proof Lip Colour in 550 Play With Fire
Owner: Michelle October
Results: This lipstick made me very happy. First, the colour is dark and vampy enough so I don’t feel like a red robot, but still red enough to make me feel like a siren. Then, it’s amazing to apply: least amount of smudging ever, meaning my lips were super well-defined. Then, it stayed on (And. Did. Not. Budge.) for hours! I’d eaten, drank coffee, and the colour was exactly the same at 6pm as it was at 10am.
Some complained that it’s a mission to remove, but this isn’t a problem for me. I just applied aqueous cream and used a tissue. Easy.
Michelle
5/ Competitor: Craving Coral by Maybelline
Owner: Robin-Jade Carolus
Results: I wasn’t too fond of it at first because it wasn’t the right amount of matte for my liking. The colour took a few layers to be as vibrant as the sticker on the bottom. Aesthetically we were a good match. It gave a feeling of summer.
It came off on everything, my hands, fork, coffee cup and water bottle, which is a nay. But it stayed vibrant and I didn’t feel like I needed to re-apply after eating lunch, which is a yay.
I re-applied for the first and only time at 4pm, again with a few coats, and went about my evening. I went to a party where I did a lot of eating and talking – and gave the birthday girl a congrats kiss. Here’s what it looked like at around 12am.
Robin
6/ Competitor: Revlon Ultra HD lipstick in 875 Gladiolus
Owner: Wanita Nicol
Results: It’s a bright, vivid red that makes a statement and will add instant glam to any outfit. It looked great on my skin tone – medium brown with yellow undertones – but I think it’s one of those colours that would suit almost any skin tone. It has a creamy, moisturising feel that doesn’t dry your lips. After applying it, I drank coffee and tea and ate lunch. I did leave red kisses all over the kitchen utensils, but it didn’t come off entirely. Three hours later, it was still visible and bright, although it had faded a little and I would normally have reapplied.
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7/ Competitor: Maybelline Vivid Hot Lacquer: 72 classic
Owner: Cally Silberbauer
Results: I hardly ever wear lipstick, and red really doesn’t really work for me. I selected one of the darker reds from the bunch and, surprisingly, it didn’t look too bad! It’s a gloss, which meant a bit of hair sticking, but it also meant it stuck around for a while. I drink an incredible amount of coffee and, besides leaving lip stains all over my mug, the lipstick was still intact. I took a selfie around 4pm and the lippy was still going strong – a little faded but definitely still there.
Cally
